Page 220 of Modern Romance January 2025 1-4

But she looked at him more closely and saw he was paler than normal. Was he nervous too? She wouldn’t blame him. Ramon was even more alone than she’d imagined. What he’d told her was shockingly sad but she was deeply touched that he’d trusted her enough to share something so personal and painful. Maybe she could—should—be more honest with him too. But she knew Ramon better now—knew he was honourable and protective, and if he found out she wasn’t as worldly and as experienced as she’d made out, he’d definitely be bothered about their fake marriage deal. He felt bad about enough already—his father’s treatment of his mother, her isolation and emotional abandonment of him, the awful mess of his aunt and his father and his unacknowledged half-brother. She didn’t want to add to that. But honestly, she was mostly afraid that he would end their affair immediately, and now it wasn’t that she wasn’t ready for thatyet, but that she mightneverbe ready to let him go.

She shivered again.

‘You sure you’re okay?’ Ramon wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a bear hug.

Pure safety, security, support. She knew she could step back at any time and he’d release her, but instead she leaned even closer against him. She didn’t want to escape. Didn’t want to be alone. Not anymore. She drew on his strength and wistfully hoped that somehow he too drew on something from her.

‘I’m good,’ she whispered.

He pulled back with a devastatingly tender smile and held the door for her. Her heart somersaulted in her chest and she suddenly knew shehadto talk to him. Had to be honest. Her heart compelled it for herself.Shedidn’t want to hold back anything from him anymore. She would be brave and tell himeverything. But she would face his family with him first. That was the one thing he really needed from her now.

Ramon couldn’t get his head around the fact that he’d been married to Elodie for more than a month because it had truly passed in the blink of an eye. But he knew she couldn’t resist ice cream. Her preference for green tea over black. Her enjoyment of detective shows. Her other ‘tells’ had become more obvious too. He knew when she was thinking about kissing him, when she was about to come, when she was nervous—like when jumping from those rocks. She’d awed him when she pushed through with courage then and it was what she was doing now—looking stunningly dangerous in that black evening gown despite desperately snuggling in to him only moments ago. He ached to draw her back into his arms. She’d given him a comfort he hadn’t felt in years and she’d helped him face his past. Maybe he might even resolve that mess properly soon.

But for now he enjoyed watching her gracefully enter the car. She had that aloof, unattainable but sexy air down pat. Her enigmatic focus intrigued him. She liked to set puzzles and throw red herrings everywhere but actually was a puzzle herself. She could be flirtatious, confident, brash yet in the next moment blush awkwardly, flustered and jittery. She could hold men at arm’s length. And did. Including him sometimes. In short, she fascinated him and he wanted to know more.Shouldknow more. But he’d not had the stomach to ask about her past lovers. It had suited him to think of her as being as bulletproof as him. It had made his own plan palatable.

But no one was bulletproof.

He’d beenlazyand frankly jealous. He’d chosen not to question the nuances of her first marriage. What had happened? Her father had to have approved it and didn’t want her divorce, so had he bullied her into it like he’d just tried with her younger sister? And where was the ex in all this, why hadn’t the jerk had Elodie’s back?

Ramon had been so blinded by lust he’d not stopped to discover the subtleties. He thought back to those party photos on her social media. Maybe it was all wishful thinking, but he was sure there hadn’t been the sparkle in her eyes that there was when she was out with him. She’d posed—performative. Had it all been a front to hide heartbreak?

Now he wanted to know why, tounderstandeverything. Why had she embraced such overt hedonism? Had she felt so oppressed she needed to discover herself?

She was loyal to her friends. To her sister. Even to him. Yet she’d apparently cheated on her husband. The Elodie he’d seen, the one he’d touched, the one heknew, didn’t seem likely to do that. Although she’d admitted that she wasn’t the same person she was when she married the first time. So what happened to make her walk out on him?

Ramon had tested her only once with a stupid question about her husband letting her go, but she’d said nothing. Had her silence been another demonstration of her innate loyalty?

So somehow, as they were driven through the heart of London, he voiced his deepest worry out loud. ‘Did you fall in love with him?’

She shot him a confused look. ‘With who?’

‘The man you left your first husband for.’

‘I...’ Colour scalded her skin, only to ebb as violently quickly, leaving her waxen. ‘I don’t think now’s the right time to talk about that.’

Yeah, rubbish timing. His impulse control hadcompletelygone. He bit the inside of his cheek. Because even if she’d loved the guy, it obviously hadn’t worked out and she’d then dated a string of others. Which shouldn’t—didn’t—matter. The double standard of sexual desire should be left in the last century and maybe he shouldn’t be wondering about her past. It was irrelevant to now, right? To his future.

Their future.

Yeah,therewas the bother. He wanted more with her and somehow the facts she’d presented about her pastneededscrutiny, because he really had the feeling she was holding back on him. His father had kept so much from his mother for so long and he hated the idea that he might not know Elodie properly—not in the way hethoughthe did. He couldn’t bear to be blindsided by anyone.

He gritted his teeth as they entered the gala. The place went fully silent for a second as literally everyone stared. Because she was beside him—his unbelievably beautiful wife. Yet something felt off-kilter. He tensed even more, sensing threat. It was probably just in his head. Honestly, he didn’t know who he was anymore—couldn’t believe the impulsivity that he couldn’t control. Since when did he travel with anyone? Take not just hours, but whole days to his own leisure? Since when did he let anyone in his life for longer than a meeting? When did he hang out with anyone? And since when did he strike her with inappropriately personal questions at the worst possible moment?

Her tension was obvious too and he mentally kicked himself. As if this evening wasn’t going to be stressful enough? But there was music playing and a few people were on the dance floor.

‘Shall we?’ He gestured to the too well-lit space. ‘It’s safe on the dance floor, right?’

But this wasn’t arms-in-the-air free-form fun, this was formal, and she didn’t relax.

‘I’ll be back in a moment.’ She pushed away from him after only a few minutes, disappearing in the direction of the rest rooms.

Ramon picked up a drink from a tray and prowled to the edge of the room, unwilling to engage with his wider family yet. He’d wait for her return. While he didn’t want to be alone in facing them, he didn’t wantherto be either.

‘Why would you want to dance with her when so many other men already have?’

‘Pardon?’ Ramon turned, unable to believe his ears. He didn’t recognise the belligerent-looking man who’d appeared beside him. ‘And you are?’

‘Callum Henderson. Elodie was my wife first.’

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